A Peregrine Interlude - 19th May 2026

With a couple of hours to spare before meeting a friend in Chipping Norton and with my camera in the  car I spontaneously decided to renew acquaintance with a pair of Peregrines that frequent an ancient church just over the Oxfordshire border. I went to see them in May last year ,and hoped that it would be a similar pleasurable experience this time.

It was a morning of blustery wind and showers but thankfully the rain stayed away as I drew up by the green in the older, more attractive part of the picturesque village and its twelth century church.

Stepping out of the car I surveyed the tower of the church but could see no sign of any Peregrines so decided to walk around the chuch to survey all four sides of its substantial presence. On the north side I found what I was looking for in the form of a male Peregrine perched on a stone gargoyle.

It was not that obvious as it had its grey back turned towards me which to a great extent merged with the lichen encrusted, crumbling grey and brown stonework of the church tower and the gargoyle on which it was perched. I also noticed it had obviously endured one of the heavy rain showers I had driven through before I arrived, as its breast feathers were dishevilled and spiky due to becoming soaking wet.

I took some images and then wandered around the church to take its picture from other angles while the Peregrine followed my progress with its huge lustrous dark eyes but showed little concern and why should it, perched high and secure on its elevated perch on the tower. It must also be well used to people passing by or entering the church.

It flew to a tree opposite, in the walled grounds of the Manor House which is almost as old as the church and perched high on a broken branch to preen and linger but the wind was troublesome in this more exposed position and it soon returned to its gargoyle, situated out of the wind on the north side of the church tower

 

It was remarkable how the many Jackdaws nesting in the ventilation inlets of the tower seemed unperturbed by its presence and carried on, to and fro, feeding their noisy young in their nests. Woodpigeons too showed little concern perching close to the apparently indifferent falcon. Maybe they and the Jackdaws were aware the Peregrine had eaten and for the time being they were in no danger. However a black wing tip poking up from behind another gargoyle indicated that a Jackdaw had fallen victim to the falcon and others would likely be suffering the same fate in the near future.As if proof were needed, on reviewing my photos I noticed its lower breast feathers were stained with blood, no doubt from a very recent victim. 

Note the blood on the Peregrine's breast feathers

In a brief absence of the Peregrine I saw a smaller falcon fly up to perch high on a ledge of the church tower and on going to investigate, it was as I suspected a male Kestrel. It had a worm which it consumed and then departed which is probably just as well as Peregrines are known to kill and eat smaller raptors such as kestrels.

Male Kestrel

The Peregrine returned and resumed its vigil on the gargoyle and all was as before; the Jackdaws busy feeding their young, the Woodpigeons blundering around the church and surrounding graveyard yews and the Peregrine silently watching - and waiting.

I spent around an hour, undisturbed and left to my own devices in this quiet and pleasant corner of rural England  with only a passing villager stopping to enquire after 'their' Peregrines. The hands of the ancient clock on the church tower pointed to twelve noon. It was time to go.